Golf putting receptacle



Feb. 10, 1970 CHMQDD ETAL 3,494,620

GOLF PUTTING RECEPTACLE Filed July, 1, 1968 MN WN NN J m w W J United States Patent 3,494,620 GOLF PUTTING RECEPTACLE Arthur W. Schmudde, 5925 Dunham Road, Downers Grove, Ill. 60515, and Theodore J. Alberts, 2917 W. 99th Place, Evergreen Park, Ill. 60642 Filed July 1, 1968, Ser. No. 741,650 Int. Cl. A63b 57/00 US. Cl. 273177 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A generally T-shaped receptacle made from a single sheet metal stamping includes a slightly upwardly inclined ball entrance ramp having a width approximating the diameter of a golf hole. Rearward of the ramp, the floor of the receptacle is inclined to permit balls to move by gravity to the rear and either of the respective sides so that putted balls are disposed neatly in rows along the rear of the device. A marker is frictionally secured to the rear wall of a circumferential ball retaining rim.

The present invention is directed to new and useful improvements in golf practice aids of the type presenting a simulated golf hole target for practice of putting, chipping and :pitching.

The major purposes of the present invention are to so form a golf practice target and receptacle that a relatively large number of practice balls are easily collected and stored, to so form a combined target and receptacle of this class that balls enter the apparatus for collection and storage relatively easily and without substantial resistance by the apparatus, to form a practice receptacle in such a way that stored balls do not block the target area, and to so form apparatus of this class that it may be easily and economically formed from a single metal stamping, these and other purposes becoming more apparent in the course of the ensuing specification and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of apparatus incorporating the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan View of the apparatus illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a side view of the apparatus of FIG- URES 1 and 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a rear view of the apparatus represented in FIGURES l, 2 and 3.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

With specific reference now to the drawings, and in the first instance to FIGURE 1, the numeral generally designates a golf practice target and ball storage receptacle for use in practicing putting and chipping. The body of the device is generally T-shaped in overall plan view. The body is formed of multi-angular configuration so that the leg 11 of the T-shaped form is inclined to the remainder of the body generally designated by the two areas 12a and 12b. The leg 11 hasa Width which is approximately the diameter of a golf hole. The areas 12a and 12b extend laterally from leg 11 by dimensions approximating the width of leg 11. The areas 12a and 12b meet the leg portion along an apex 13 which is generally a straight line of division between the downwardly and outwardly inclined leg 11, and surfaces 12a and 12b. When placed on a supporting surface, the leg portion 11 is inclined to the supporting surface by an angle of less than 10 as are the inclinations of the surfaces 12a and 12b.

The two surfaces 12a and 12b are also inclined to each other and meet along an apex 14 which is posi- 3,494,620 Patented Feb. 10, 1970 tioned along the center of the apparatus and along a straight line which bisects the area of the leg 11.

It is preferred that the surfaces 12a and 12b be inclined to one another at a maximum extent at the end of the surfaces most remote from the leg 11 and with an inclination of lesser extent in those areas adjacent the line of apex 13.

This is most clearly seen in FIGURE 1 by reference to the lines 15 and 16 which denote, respectively, lines positioned along a supporting floor of the device and positioned below the marginal edges of the device. This provides portions of areas 12a and 12b adjacent the line 13 which are close to being coplanar with one another While the other portions of areas 12a and 12b have a progressively greater inclination to one another until the final relative inclination is as illustrated in FIGURE 4. The angle of the surfaces 12a and 12b adjacent apex 13 may be about 179 while the angle at the rear (as seen in FIGURE 4) may be on the order of 174.

The leg 11 defines an entrance ramp for balls entering the device and, upon entry of the balls B, the balls follow a natural rolling movement by gravity in the direction of the arrows appearing in FIGURE 2 which disposes the balls neatly along the rear of the device as is seen in FIGURES 2 and 4.

The marginal edges of the leg and storage areas 12a and 12b have an upstanding rim 17 formed therearound and extending on both sides of the entrance leg 11 but terminating at the forward edge of the entrance leg. The rim has a maximum height of about one-third to onehalf the height of a golf ball. This upstanding retaining rim has a reduced height as indicated at 18 and 19 in those regions of the rim adjacent to the line of apex 13 to facilitate the stamping process. It is preferred that the forward edges of the rim 17 be inclined rearwardly as indicated at 20 in FIGURE 3.

The upper exposed surfaces of the storage areas 12a and 12b as well as the upper surface of the leg 11 may be covered by felt or the like. A circular line which simulates a golf hole may be painted, printed, or otherwise marked on the surface of the leg 11 as indicated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

A target element may be positioned on the rear portion of the retaining rim 17. This target may take the form of an upstanding wire 21 which is frictionally clamped to the rear portion of the retaining rim 17 as by means of the wire being formed into superimposed spirals 22 at the lower portion thereof so that the retaining rim may fit between adjacent spirals in a frictional engagement.

In forming the device illustrated in the drawings, a single piece of sheet metal, which may be sheet steel of about 20 gauge thickness, may be stamped into a flat T-shape of dimensions corresponding to the shape of FIGURE 2 but with the retaining rim portion 17 included in the blank and with the stamping so formed that the blank is larger than the finally formed device by the dimensions of the retaining rim. It is important to form this blank with recessed areas corresponding to the areas defined at the rim portions of the reduced height as indicated at 18 and 19 to facilitate the final stamping process. The blank so formed is then positioned in a forming die having the multi-angular configuration described and dimensioned to force the marginal edges of the blank upwardly to define the retaining rim 17.

In use, the relatively shallow inclination of the entrance leg 11 allows balls to easily roll upthis leg and to the storage areas 12a and 12b where they collect naturally in neat rows as appears in FIGURE 2. The front and rear inclination of the areas 12a and 12b causes the balls to move to the rear and sides of the receptacle, with a minimum amount of blockage of the target area. The areas of the rim 17 alongside and extending laterally from leg 11 provide substantial blocking areas for balls which miss the target. Balls may collect along these areas. The front to rear dimension of the areas 12a and 12b is at least equal to the width of ramp 11 to provide storage of several rows of balls.

After putting or chipping practice with a device illustrated herein, the balls may be left within the device as a storage tray for the practice balls used.

The use of the inclined ramp area in front of the storage area is advantageous in that it requires that a ball have slightly, more than the speed required to simply reach the target of the ramp area. Thus the receptacle enables the golfer to practice putting long, by putting just hard enough to reach the storage areas.

Whereas we have shown and described an operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this showing and description thereof should be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are modi fications to the invention which will fall within the scope and spirit thereof and which .will be apparent to those skilled in the art. The scope of the invention should be measured only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A golf putting target and receptacle formed from a single sheet of material, defined by a body of generally T-shaped form with the leg of the T slightly inclined with respect to the remainder of the body, the remainder of the body being formed into a downwardly concave disposition with an apex defined along the center of the body, the line of juncture between said leg portion and the remainder of said body also defining an apex of downwardly inclined surfaces, the remainder of said body having a downward and outward inclination of maximum extent at the rear of said body and at the point most removed from said leg portion and a downward and outward inclination of lesser extent at the portions of the remainder of the body adjacent to said leg portion whereby balls may enter said body by rolling up said leg portion and roll naturally toward the remote portion of the remainder of said body, said body including an upturned retaining rim formed along the sides of said leg portion adjoining the remainder of said body and around the remainder of said body.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said rim portion has a lesser height at the areas of juncture of the leg portion with the remainder of said body than the height of the rim portion around the remainder of said body and said leg portion.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said body and rim portions are defined by a unitary sheet metal stamping.

4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said leg portion has a width approximating the diameter of a golf hole.

5. The structure of claim 1 characterized by and including an upstanding marker carried by the rim of the rearmost portion of said body, said marker including a clamping element having a removable frictional engagement with said rim.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,676,975 7/1928 Anderson et a1 273177 2,938,729 5/1960 Billfaldt 273178 3,070,372 12/1962 Brinati et al. 273-178 3,351,345 11/ 1967 Robinette 273-179 X GEORGE J. MARLO, Primary Examiner 

